A Pipeline Integrating Cultural Heritage X-ray CR/CT Data Using Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine

Cultural heritage X-ray and computed tomography (CT) data require conservation-grade reproducibility and interoperability. This study presents the digital imaging and communication in cultural heritage (DICOCH) pipeline, a generation–validation–publication workflow implementing digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) standards for heritage objects. The pipeline integrates automated DICOM generation from computed radiography and CT sources, mandatory machine validation, and automatic creation of publication packages, including International image interoperability framework (IIIF) manifests. A private group (0013,xxxx) preserves heritage-specific context and rights while encoding calibrated Hounsfield unit statistics within a single object. Validation with the Hahoe Mask dataset achieved zero-error compliance and verified interoperability between medical picture archiving and communication system and web-based IIIF viewers. By reconciling standard compliance with open access through a publicly released reference implementation, DICOCH serves as a trusted bridge between scientific preservation and digital reuse, providing a practical framework for global heritage data interoperability.